BTN News: Delegates from 22 countries at a Western Hemisphere meeting in Guatemala on Tuesday renewed their commitment to continue providing legal routes into their countries, assist communities most affected by migration, and coordinate responses to manage migration flows.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken highlighted that progress has been made in all these aspects over the past two years. But through the dangerous Darien Gap separating Colombia and Panama, and on the U.S. border, there was a record number of migrations to the region last year
Two years ago, leaders in the region signed the “Los Angeles Declaration,” a Washington-led initiative to coordinate a regional response to historic levels of migration
“At the center of our efforts is the message that people should take advantage of the legal route rather than take the dangerous route north,” Blinken said at a press conference with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo.
According to a U.S. official, his government will work with Congress to provide another $578 million in aid to countries in the hemisphere hosting migrants.
The signatory countries also announced the creation of a coordinating body to assess the progress of nations in fulfilling commitments.
Guatemala committed to expanding access to offices where migrants can register and receive information about their legal options. Until now, they only served Guatemalans, but they will also be open to citizens of Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena stressed in her profile on social network X that her country and the US share positions on the issue “Our presidents share an interest in addressing the structural causes of migration in the region and addressing common challenges,” he said.
